Slow burning match



Nov. 2, 1937. H. SILVER 2,097,780

SLOW BURN I NG MATCH Filed Feb. 20. 1936 M TOR g /jfl I ORNEY Patented Nov. 2, 1937 NHTED STTES AENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates in general to matches of the type comprising a head or tip of highly inflammable material which can be ignited by friction, and a stem treated so that it is relatively slow burning and resistant to extinguishment even in air currents whereby the match is especially adapted for use in the open air and can be used for lighting cigarettes, pipes, cigars and the like even in strong drafts or wind. Heretofore matches of this general character have been formed. with wood stems which have applied to the surfaces of their stems, slow burning paste compositions which during combustion sparkle or sputter with a slow flame, or the stems of the matches have applied thereto a piece of slow burning tinder which will glow in strong currents of air, the tinder being ignited by a highly inflammable tip which is lighted by friction. It has also been proposed to treat wooden matches with a solution of saltpeter. The known types of slow burning matches, due to the paste or tinder applied to the stems, cannot be made in strip or book form; furthermore, the paste compositions cause objectionable sputtering and sparking of the stems, and the matches are expensive. Wooden matches treated with a solution of saltpeter will burn slowly so long as flame is present, but will not burn or glow after extinguishment of the flame.

My invention is directed to the so-called safety match of the type comprising a stem of porous or permeable inflammable material such as cardboard or combustible fibrous material having porosity and texture of the order of card-board, and which has a head or tip of highly inflammable substance that can be ignited only by friction on a specially prepared surface.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved match of the general character described which shall avoid the difficulty and inconvenience of a coating of paste or a piece of tinder, and which shall be capable of easy and quick manufacture and shall be inexpensive.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved match of this character which shall have the same size, shape and appearance as the ordinary known safety book match but shall have a slow burning stem which will glow for a long period of time in strong currents of air and be suitable for lighting cigars, cigarettes, pipes, etc. V

Other objects are to provide a novel and improved method of and composition for treating safety matches whereby the stem of the match shall be slow burning and capable of glowing for long periods of time in strong currents of air after having been ignited by the usual highly inflammable lighting tip; and to obtain other advantages and results as will be brought out by the following description.

Referring to the drawing, the figure is a perspective view of a strip of safety matches embodying my invention, said strip to form a part of a book or match packet of known construction.

In accordance with my invention, the stem of the match is dipped in a solution so that the material in the stem will become partially or wholly impregnated by the solution and render the stem capable of slow burning and glowing after having been ignited. The solution which I use is a dilute aqueous solution of sodium nitrate preferably containing about one (1%) per cent sodium nitrate and ninety-nine (99%) percent water. The proportions of sodium nitrate and water will vary with the thickness of the material of the match stem, the amount of the sodium nitrate being increased with an increase in the thickness of the material of the match stem.

In carrying out my invention, a strip of safety matches which have been prepared in the usual way, as indicated at l on the drawing, may have the ends thereof opposite the igniting tips 2, dipped in my solution until the card-board or other material of the stems 3 has become partially or completely impregnated with the solution. In lieu of this, the sheet of card-board of which the strips of matches are to be formed, may be sprayed or brushed with the solution or dipped into the solution before the matches are formed thereof.

The solution permeates the material of the matches and is substantially invisible so that the matches may be readily packed in book form or in packets, as usual. The solution, due to the uniform porosity and texture of the card-board, uniformly penetrates the card-board so as to uniformly distribute the sodium nitrate in the pores of the card-board. The solution cannot be ignited except by the application of a flame such as is produced by rubbing the highly inflammable tips or heads 2 on a specially prepared surface. After the stem has been ignited by lighting of the heads or tips, the flame so produced may be extinguished, whereupon the stem will continue to slowly burn or glow so that it may be used for lighting cigars, cigarettes, etc. The stem of the match will burn so slowly that half a dozen or more of cigarettes may be lighted with one match, even in a strong current of wind. However, the

stem immediately will become extinguished when dropped upon the ground or ash tray or other non-inflammable surface.

My invention can be applied to the known types of strip or book matches Without change in the size, shape or appearance of the matches; my solution permeates the material of the matches instead of adhering to and projecting therefrom as in known types of slow burning matches, the match stems burn persistently and slowly, glowing without flame or sputtering; and my matches are inexpensive.

Instead of card-board for the matches, I may use other porous combustible materials that are capable of receiving and retaining the slow burning composition in their pores; and I contemplate the use of potassium nitrate as well as sodium nitrate, or combinations of those substances, as the slowly and persistently burning 20 composition for my matches.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A match comprising a stem of combustible fibrous material having porosity and texture of the order of card-board and containing sodium nitrate uniformly distributed in its pores, and an igniting head, whereby said stem will relatively slowly but persistently burn and glow after extinguishment of the flame produced from ignition of said head.

2. A match card comprising a strip of combustible fibrous material having porosity and texture of the order of card-board and slit to form a plurality of match stems, said strip being impregnated with a composition composed of one or more substances of the group consisting of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate.

HERMAN SILVER. 

